Browse Honduras Daily Stories

René Alfaro, a former ENEE administrator, says Honduras's energy reforms have not yet produced tangible results and warns that tying financing to five-year loss-reduction targets lacks technical clarity and could hamper the state power utility's recovery.

Honduras's state electricity utility ENEE has begun forgiving accumulated electric bills, penalties, and interest for low-income residential customers with monthly consumption of 250 kilowatt-hours or less, applying the Energy Justice Law.

Honduras's electric-sector overhaul, which restructures ENEE and addresses transmission infrastructure and technical losses, will take at least two years to meaningfully reduce blackouts while the government executes infrastructure investments and tackles the utility's 120-billion-lempira debt.

Cohep president Anabel Gallardo called on Congress to pass the long-delayed energy law reform, warning that continued inaction weakens ENEE's governance and could deter investment.

Liberal and National Party lawmakers said they are close to agreement on energy reforms to modernize the electric system and rescue the troubled state utility ENEE, with key protections for public assets including hydroelectric dams.

The private-sector business council estimates that power outages—averaging 21,200 hours of unmet demand annually—cost Honduras about L1.2 billion (roughly $48 million) per year in lost productivity, equipment damage, and generator expenses, while the government pushes stalled reforms to strengthen the state electricity utility.

Amparo Canales, former president of Honduras's College of Economists, says energy reforms will require foreign investment and must avoid politicization, while improving the state power company ENEE's efficiency and protecting its assets from privatization.

Alexander Godoy, a STENEE union representative, says a review of Honduras's electricity subsidy aims to ensure benefits reach only low-income families while eliminating aid to vacation homes and vacant properties, allowing state utility ENEE to strengthen its finances and reduce costs.

Honduras's power regulator announced it has contracted two new fuel suppliers to help reduce nationwide electricity blackouts, a longstanding problem affecting the country's grid reliability.